Two arrested in attack on Seattle cab driver

Seattle police have arrested a young man and woman on allegations that they attacked a cab driver early Thursday morning in Seattle’s Eastlake neighborhood.

According to a media statement, officers were called to the 1100 block of Easlake Avenue East just after 3 a.m. following a report that two passengers had attacked a cabby.

Arriving at the scene, officers saw a young man dashing away from the area; he was apprehended, police say, after a brief foot chase. A young woman who was apparently accompanying him was also arrested.

The driver told officers he had picked up the pair minutes earlier, according to the media statement. When he learned they had no money to pay the fare, he stopped the cab and ordered them out of the car.

According to police, the driver said the woman then began punching the driver in the head. The man then allegedly began banging a skateboard against the door of the vehicle.

The young adults, both under 21, were booked into King County Jail. The man has been held on suspicion of unlawful alcohol possession, malicious mischief, theft and obstruction. The woman is suspected of assault.